The State University of New York at Fredonia—commonly referred to as SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia State College or Fredonia—is a public, four-year university in Fredonia, New York. The school belongs to the 64 campuses that make up the State University of New York system.
Established in 1826, it serves as the 66th oldest institution of higher education in the United States, 7th oldest college in New York, and 2nd oldest public school in New York (SUNY) following Potsdam (1816).
Fredonia traces its roots to being one of the state teachers’ colleges that traditionally specialized in music education. The school has since expanded and offered a larger number of programs in several areas, which include a developing graduate division. The school has 82 majors and 41 minors, and the most popular areas of study include science, communication, music, education, and the social sciences.
SUNY Fredonia Acceptance Rate
Fredonia has an acceptance rate of 62%. Those who want to apply to Fredonia can submit an application through the SUNY system, or by submitting the Common Application. Other materials required for application include a personal essay, letter of recommendation, high school transcripts, and SAT or ACT scores. There are majors that require additional materials, so students are advised to visit the official SUNY College at Fredonia website for application guidelines and more details.
Admitted Students Profile
A total of 4,630 students are enrolled in SUNY at Fredonia. Out of that number, 4,393 students are pursuing undergraduate programs and 237 students are taking up graduate programs. Based on gender distribution, the campus has 1,923 male and 2,707 female students. For online courses, 11 students are enrolled exclusively while 407 students are enrolled in some courses. By ethnicity or race, the school has 3,442 White, 342 Black and 86 Asian students out of the total 4,630 enrolled SUNY Fredonia students.
Tuition Figures
For the year 2019, the undergraduate tuition and fees of SUNY at Fredonia amount to $8,488 for New York residents and $18,268 for students who live out of state. For the graduate school, it costs $12,708 for New York residents and $24,268 for others. 3,342 students, which accounts for 76.08% of the enrolled undergraduate students, have obtained financial aid, grant or scholarships with an average amount of $7,670.
SUNY at Fredonia helps students with their tuition and fees through various forms of financial aids such as work-study programs, need-based and merit-based scholarships, federally-subsidized loans, and grants.
For students to be considered for financial aid, they are required to accomplish the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) that can be accessed online beginning in January. It’s best to submit this application as soon as possible because scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Location
SUNY Fredonia is located at 280 Central Ave, Fredonia, New York. Situated in Chautauqua County (southwest of Buffalo), the campus was designed by well-known architects I.M. Pei and Henry N. Cobb in 1968. The entire university is divided into three colleges and one school: the College of Visual and Performing Arts, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Education, and School of Business.
Academics
There are almost 90 undergraduate majors in SUNY Fredonia, along with several specializations within the majors. Students may also pursue pre-professional programs including pre-medicine, pre-law, pre-dental, pre-veterinarian and pre-optometry. For those who want to continue their education, the school offers almost 40 graduate programs and certificates available.
Aside from the standard undergraduate and graduate programs, SUNY at Fredonia has special programs such as Online Education, J Term courses, Lifelong Learning Program, Noncredit Training, Course Auditing, and Summer Sessions. Some of the programs are designed for students who want degrees or non-degree certificates.
The school offers an online education program that aims to provide educational opportunities for students who want to pursue higher education but cannot due to restrictions that keep them from studying in the daytime. Meanwhile, the Course Auditing and Lifelong Learning programs are meant for students who intend to take specific courses for personal or professional enrichment.
Student Life
The school has its very own athletics organization called the Blue Devils, which offers various intercollegiate sports. There are also intramural sports, an online magazine, a newspaper, a campus newsletter, a TV station, and a radio station. Besides having an active Greek life, Fredonia is known for providing numerous student clubs and organizations that focus on a wide range of interests.
Athletics
The Fredonia Blue Devils are a member of the NCAA Division III athletics organization that competes in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). The school offers a vast array of intercollegiate sports teams that include basketball, cross country, soccer, swimming & diving, and track & field. Men have the option of joining other sports such as ice hockey and baseball while women may take up lacrosse, softball, volleyball, tennis, and cheerleading.
Aside from its varsity athletics program, SUNY Fredonia has its own ice rink that offers skate rental and lessons. It also has a pool facility and fitness center to help students stay in shape while having fun. For students who don’t want to participate in the varsity program but still want to play sports, they can participate in intramural sports.
Notable Alums
SUNY Fredonia has a long list of alumni that spans the globe. Since its establishment in the 1820s, the school has produced thousands of graduates who all have pursued exemplary careers in their chosen field. Below are some of them:
- Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, 1857- founder of B.F.Goodrich tire company
- Karl Holz, 1973 – president of Disney Cruise Lines
- James H. McGraw, 1884 – founder of McGraw-Hill Companies
- Nick Bernardone, 2008 – writer/producer, three-time Emmy nominee and PGA Award winner for NBC’s “30ROCK”
- Jennifer Cody, 1991 – actress
- Brian Frons, 1977 – president, daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group
- Mary McDonnell, 1974 – Academy Award-nominated actress
- Tom Pokel, 1991 – Head Coach, Italy national ice hockey team
- Andrea Romano, 1977 – casting and voice director; Peabody Award winner, Emmy Award winner
- Lance Bernard Bryant, 2002 – vocalist, current member of The Platters
- Dave Fridmann – Grammy Award-winning recording engineer/producer
- Marcus Goldhaber, 2000 – (BFA in Musical Theatre) – NYC-based jazz vocalist, bandleader
- James Houlik, 1964 – American tenor saxophonist
- Kevin Moore – original keyboardist for Dream Theater
- Stephen Roessner, 2004 – Grammy Award-winning recording engineer/producer
- Gar Samuelson, 1982 – Drummer for heavy metal band Megadeth
- Marcus M. Drake, 1852 – Mayor of Buffalo, 1882
- Reuben Fenton – U.S. Senator and Governor of New York State from 1865 to 1868
- Ozra Amander Hadley – Governor of the State of Arkansas from 1871 to 1873
- Frank Manly Thorn, lawyer, politician, government official, essayist, journalist, humorist, and inventor, sixth Superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (1885-1889)
- Lucille Clifton, 1955 – American poet
- Justin Cunningham, 2015 – educator and founder of Chicago Public School dedicated non-profit, SocialWorks
- Neil Postman, 1953 – educator and author
- Michael Marletta, 1973 – chemist and MacArthur Fellow
Learn more about the other SUNY colleges. Each SUNY has its own unique offerings, campus and academic requirement.
